BIG WEEKEND EVENTS

Every month we offer a whole weekend of themed STEAM-based activities.

Members ONLY Preview - Every Big Weekend Event - Sat & Sun 8:30 am to 9:30 am

 

FALL FEST WEEKEND - November 16th & 17th

STEAM activities that celebrate the changing seasons.

  1. Leaf Litter MicroBiomes - Explore the hidden world under your feet with magnifying glasses and scientific collection tools to discover miniature creatures and ecosystems in leaf litter.

  2. Digital Jack ‘O Lanterns - Create digitally animated faces for our pumpkins using customizable LED technology. Pumpkin Carving of the future!

  3. DIY Corn Maze - Create a custom maze using engineering design techniques, plan, test, evaluate, and improve to ensure a unique and challenging experience for those who navigate it.

  4. Applesauce Cinnamon Dough Sculptures - Mix applesauce and cinnamon to make awesome scented playdough, then craft it into art sculptures.

  5. Seed Sorting - Think like a squirrel and categorize plant seeds by physical characteristics like size, count, and texture.

  6. Leaf Raking - Experience the joy of autumn by raking leaves and jumping into piles - indoors! Use kids-sized rakes and paper & felt leaves for a safe and enjoyable experience.

SNOW DAY WEEKEND - January 11th & 12th

A STEAM winter wonderland.

  1. InstaSnow - Experience the magic of science by growing a blizzard in your hand.

  2. Infrared Vision - Learn how animals like snakes, mosquitos, and bats hunt using infrared vision and body heat.

  3. Blanket Mega-Forts - Engineer a mega Museum-sized fort using blankets, rope, and connectors in our exhibit halls; this is the ultimate snow day activity. 

  4. Paper Cut Snowflakes  - Enjoy the classic art of cutting folded paper into beautifully patterned snowflakes.

  5. Snowflake Clings - Explore the unique formation of snowflakes by building symmetrical snowflakes out of static cling shapes.

  6. Mini-Snowman Maker - Create mini Snow-People using clay, dressing them up using fun accessories.

KINDNESS WEEKEND - February

Kindness Weekend is about spreading joy, positivity, and love with a STEAM spin.

  1. Kindness Ripples - Learn how small acts of kindness can have a big impact, just like ripples in a puddle; science explains this wave phenomenon. 

  2. Human Circuits - Make an impact when you join hands with family and friends; this collaborative demo will teach about completing circuits, conducting electricity, and insulation.

  3. Helping Hands - Use the Engineering Design process to create a prototype of a helping hand with moving fingers using cardboard, string, and straws. Try making it wave hello or grab a ball.

  4. Friendship Bracelets - Create beautiful friendship bracelets to share with friends using string and jewelry connectors.

  5. Cookie Fiasco - Solve the cookie-sharing dilemma of 3 cookies between 4 friends with The Cookie Fiasco, a playful introduction to fractions by Mo Willems and Dan Santat. 

  6. Balance - Explore emotional balance (and gravity) through interactive activities like walking a balance beam and using a scale. 

SLIMEFEST WEEKEND - March

Play with slime made by our expert Slime Chefs (aka Museum Educators) and snap a picture of the recipe to make your own at home!

  1. Glue & Borax Slime - Play with this classic version that put slime on the map; this squishy sensory plaything is also an excellent way to learn basic chemistry vocab. 

  2. Cornstarch Oobleck - Experiment with this unique substance that looks and moves like a liquid but feels solid when you touch it.

  3. Applesauce Cinnamon Dough - Sculpt this squishy and sticky dough, leaving your hands smelling amazing.

  4. No-Bake Playdough - Mold this classic dough from everyday kitchen pantry items.

  5. Kinetic Sand - Play with the handmade version of this popular toy is a perfect mix of sensory play and gritty fun that holds its shape until it oozes away.

  6. Magnetic Slime - Watch in awe as this special slime devours a slow-motion magnet.

EARTH DAY WEEKEND - April

Earth Day Weekend is about caring for and protecting our planet, with a STEAM twist

  1. Creature Costumes & Camouflage - Play a matching game to learn about animal patterns and colors, then make a collage to explore adaptation and survival.

  2. Solar Race Cars - Harness natural energy sources by powering a race car with a solar cell. 

  3. Wind Turbine Gizmos - Engineer wind turbine-based flying gizmos and watch them twirl, spin, and glide in our Wind Tube Table.

  4. Blackout Poetry - Create a blackout poem using Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot." 

  5. Nature’s Geometry - Shapes are found in nature where plants and animals use math to build homes, make food, and grow towards the sun's energy.

  6. Recycled Sculptures - Get creative with your recyclables. Join other artists to create an eco-friendly art installation for the Museum.

MAKER WEEKEND - May

Maker Weekend is an exciting and fun way to learn about the wonders of STEAM

  1. Magnetic Motion - Explore the world of magnets and witness objects levitate and defy gravity without contact, this an exciting way to learn about science!

  2. Robo Menagerie - Meet and play with robotic critters, the incredible coding toys.

  3. Cardboard Bridges - Build and experiment with cardboard bridges to enhance your Maker Mindset, utilizing suspension and truss designs. 

  4. Kinetic Balance Sculptures - Make fun sculptures from everyday objects to learn about gravity, balance, and stability through tilting, sliding, and suspending.

  5. Math Marble Machines - Create marble runs by experimenting with different paths and stunts.

  6. Hot Glue 101 - Master tools without fear of boo-boos. Our maker space teaches hot glue safety and risk awareness while enjoying experiential learning

PRIDE WEEKEND - June

Celebrate Pride Weekend with colorful science and learning.

  1. Prism Power - Play with Prisms to bend white light to uncover the rainbow of colors hiding inside. 

  2. LED Spectrum Squishy Circuits - Explore electricity with homemade conductive and resistant play-doh that lights up, moves, and makes sounds.

  3. Soap Bubble Shapes - Find rainbows in the iridescence of a bubble. Create 3D geometric shapes using chenille stems and straws, producing colorful films.

  4. Rainbow Weaving - Intermix the colors of the rainbow while improving concentration, problem-solving, and creativity.

  5. Painting Number Bond Rainbows - Improve math fluency with number bonds that visually show how to break down a number, making them helpful addition facts.

  6. Progress Pride Flag Puzzles - Explore the meaning behind each color and symbol as you piece it together.

SHARK WEEKEND - July 20th & 21st

Shark Weekend is a fun and educational event exploring sharks' world through STEAM activities.

  1. Seashell Excavation - Explore marine life with this science-based activity: dig, examine, and identify shelled sea creatures native to Long Island Sound.

  2. Shark Trackers - Follow the movements of real-life sharks right outside our doors in Long Island Sound using Shark Tracker technology. 

  3. Sinking Boat Challenge - Design a boat with aluminum foil and test it with marbles to see if it floats or if the marbles sink the boat! Can you rescue your boat from a shark?

  4. Mermaid’s Purse Charcoal Sketching - Use real shark egg case specimens to inspire sketches.

  5. Shark Teeth Sorting - Identify shark species and take home a shark tooth as a keepsake.

  6. Pin the Fin on the Shark - A fun and educational twist on the classic party game teaches participants how different fins help sharks swim.

80’s/90’s WEEKEND - August 24th & 25th

Step back in time but through the lens of STEAM. 

  1. Retro Science Experiments - Relive classic science experiments like the Potato Clock, Frog Dissection kit, Vinegar & Baking Soda Volcano.

  2. 8-Bit Video Game Artifacts - Experience the early days of gaming technology, including Pong, Tetris, and Pac-Man.

  3. Classic Toy Engineering - Discover the engineering principles behind classic toys like Slinky, Yo-Yo, Paddle Ball, Spirograph, Bubbler Games, and Spinning Tops.

  4. Keith Haring Art Inspirations - Design your own colorful backgrounds and outline them with black to create diverse people and creatures inspired by graffiti art.

  5. Rubik’s Cube Solving Station - Solve a Rubik's Cube with guidance from our educators, this time without removing any stickers.

  6. DIY Slap Bracelets - Introduce today's kids to a classic of your childhood by decorating a snap bracelet.

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND - October 26th & 27th

Come in costume for a not-so-scary Halloween STEAM event featuring:

  1. Name ‘dem Bones - Examine skeletons of vertebrate animals, big and small. Animals come in all shapes and sizes, but we have much in common under the skin. 

  2. Glow in the Dark Room - Play around with ultraviolet-reactive materials under our black lights and discover what makes things glow in the dark. There's nothing like an eerie green glow to set the tone. 

  3. Spider Web Engineering - Make a web out of yarn and test its strength, seeing how many weights it can hold. 

  4. Ghost Pour Painting - Create a spooky and haunting, BOO-tiful painting. 

  5. Pumpkin Guts Seed Count - Explore a Jack ‘O Lantern guts using tweezers (or fingers!) to count, sort, sequence, and estimate the seeds inside.

  6. Monster Hide ‘n Seek - Seek, find, and match the Monsters hiding around the Museum.